Werewolf (BBC)
A Werewolf (also known as a Type 3) is a supernatural being who, upon the rising of the full moon every month, transforms into a fearsome, wolf-like monster. In its human form, the Werewolf cannot be distinguished from any human being, although their senses of smell and hearing seem to sharpen before and after the full moon. Many Werewolves feel ashamed of their condition as once the full moon has risen they become a savage beast with unmatchable strength and ferocity over which they have no control. The Werewolf curse is normally passed on when a human is scratched by a transformed or partially transformed Werewolf. UK Version History of Werewolves It is implied that Werewolves have existed as long as Vampires have. They can be found throughout history, any gender, any ethnicity, or any race. According to Hal Yorke, the Werewolf curse, like those of Vampires and Ghosts, originates from the Devil. Infection Werewolves were originally humans, before becoming infected with the Werewolf curse when they were scratched or bitten by a transformed or transforming Werewolf. Werewolves are not as common as other supernatural beings due to the fact that Werewolves, while in their wolf form, will attack to kill rather to infect, unlike other similar creatures such as Vampires. A Werewolf will leave a lifelong scar after infecting a victim. This makes Werewolves relatively easy to identify whilst in their human state. Werewolves can have children, but this is extremely rare, with Eve Sands being the only known example. Eve was apparently human as she did not transform during the full moon, which the Vampires believed was due to the two Werewolf genes from her parents cancelling each other out; however, it would appear that Eve did inherit at least some supernatural ability from her parents, as she was able to see Ghosts. Monthly transformation On every full moon, a Werewolf will experience extreme pain whilst transforming from their human to wolf form. It seems that the gravitational pull of the full moon triggers the transformation in an identical manner to how it causes sea tides to rise. While in wolf form, Werewolves lose the ability to think like humans and become savage monsters, incapable of any empathy or thought, and highly aggressive towards any creature that comes within their reach. Some Werewolves have been known to attack humans in wolf form that they would love in their human form, but others have been known to instead become calm around said humans. A Werewolf's transformation itself would kill a normal human within thirty seconds. The heart stops and shrinks by two-thirds, whilst the Werewolf also experiences liver and kidney failure as all other organs must shrink as well. The Werewolf's bones then break and begin to reshape and reform. The Werewolf, although experiencing intense pain, will then stop screaming for a while, as their throat and vocal cords tear and reform. The pituitary glands will then attempt to ease the pain by flooding the body with endorphines, however it will have shut down by this time too. transforming.]] Once the internal changes have taken place, the external changes begin. Fangs grow in, and the fingernails and toenails grow out to form claws, whilst the face and skull reform to form a snout. The spine enlarges and the vertebrae push out on the skin, whilst fur begins to sprout from all over the body. The skin under this fur also seems to become much darker as well. The eyes change from their normal colour to a yellow, more animalistic form. The body becomes hunched over although the Werewolf retains the ability to walk upright on two legs. By this stage the Werewolf will have lost their human mind and have fully transformed into their wolf form. Upon completion, the wolf usually lets out a long howl. The Werewolf may undress before tranforming to avoid destroying their clothes. It is also known that as the full moon approaches, Werewolves' senses of smell and hearing are enhanced. They remain enhanced even after reversion to human form, probably returning to baseline human levels as the time goes on until the cycle begins again. Confidence and even a tendency towards aggression may be evident, given the occasion. Although most of the time they are only as strong as a normal Human, when nearing a transformation, a Werewolf will be in possession of extreme strength far beyond that of a human, and in their wolf form are known to be the only beings to exceed the strength of Vampires. There also appears to be an increased appetite for sex, as is seen in the Werewolf George Sands when he ravished a nurse, Nina Pickering, whilst on the cusp of a transformation. Indeed, George was later shown to be concerned that he may not be able to reach the same levels of performance later and feared Nina would lose interest in him if that happened. Even when not near a transformation, a Werewolf possesses physical toughness and strength beyond a normal human's, due to the repeated organ failures and broken bones and subsequent healing from the transformations. It has also been shown that Werewolves can trick their body into a partial transformation without a full moon, although this is fatal as their liver, heart and kidney do not heal afterwards as they would following a complete transformation. After reverting to human form, a Werewolf will not retain any memory of their time in wolf form, although they may be able to remember some of the emotions that they felt. For instance George Sands remembered that he felt good after he killed Vampire Herrick in his wolf form, and also remembered that his blood was cold. Any recollection of a night in wolf form is very rare, as Werewolves may travel hundreds of miles during the night and not know where they are when they awake. Although Werewolves will attack other creatures while transformed, they will not attack other Werewolves with which they have a close relationship. Although George attacked Lee Tully when the two were in wolf form after learning that Tully was the Werewolf that infected him, the first time he and Nina transformed in close proximity to each other the two had sex in wolf form. Anthony McNair and his adopted son Tom also demonstrating a pack-like attitude towards each other due to their connection as humans despite the lack of a biological connection between them. On another occasion, Tom in his wolf form, after hearing before transforming that Bobby's wolf was about to attack the Barry Grand Hotel, returned to the Hotel and tried to contain Bobby without killing him, and did not harm Bobby after being sealed in a room with him. While mid-transformation, a human retains some degree of control over the wolf even if they cannot stop it, such as when George managed to go from a school to his flat while mid-transformation, or when McNair later passed over John Mitchell to attack another vampire, as even his feral state recognised that Mitchell himself wasn't a threat, even if he was still slightly hostile to McNair. Appearance Werewolves are heavily built and very muscular with particularly powerful arms. In wolf form, a Werewolf's pectoral muscles are very developed and the abdominal area is also very well built. Weaknesses Werewolves are unable to cross running water. It is not known if silver has any effect on Werewolves. McNair managed to kill a Werewolf in a dogfight by stabbing it in the neck with a knife and slitting its throat, and McNair himself was killed when Herrick stabbed his wolf in the neck with a blade. This shows that a Werewolf in wolf form can be killed by cutting the throat with a knife. If a Werewolf suffers a fatal injury in wolf form, it will not recover in human form, although their ability to heal in both states is still far above a human's. It has also been shown that as a Werewolf gets older their transformations become more dangerous to their health, as Hal Yorke and Pearl believed that if Werewolf Leo had transformed one more time before his death in 2012, then he would not have survived it. Treatment in her wolf form.]]An increase in air pressure will prevent a Werewolf from transforming during the full moon, theorised to be because the increase in pressure cancels out the moon's gravitational pull. However, the air pressure increase will result in the Werewolf's veins increasing in size to the point that they burst, causing the Werewolf to die of blood loss. Werewolves can attempt to prevent themselves from harming others by creating a scent trail using a meat carcass, leading to an isolated location where they know no one will find them. They then can create another scent trail in the shape of a circle, hoping that their wolves will attempt to follow the trail all night rather than hunt for live prey. Taking sleeping pills before transforming will put the Werewolf into a deep sleep all night and is a safer option than allowing themselves to be free in their wolf form. However, it seems that anger that is built up during the month is let out on the full moon, and thus if the werewolf does not allow this anger out, they will adopt a much more aggressive persona while in their human form, and may find it uncontrollable to swear or be violent towards people. It is known that as the Devil was behind the Werewolf curse's origins, destroying him will cure Werewolves of their condition; although not only it is uncertain whether killing the Devil will cure all Werewolves on earth, or at least just the one that was part of the Supernatural Trinity which destroyed the Devil, it is also uncertain as to whether the devil was defeated at all. It may have been a illusion created by the devil. Other characteristics Werewolf blood is highly toxic to Vampires, burning them like acid, and can kill them relatively easily. Due to this, Vampire-hunting Werewolves commonly use vials of their blood against Vampires. It is also known that Werewolves such as TomMcNair can sense the wolf inside of them even when in human form. Attitude towards Vampires Werewolves have had a very hostile relationship with Vampires (seemingly for centuries); teen vampire Adam Jacobs indicated that this was because Werewolves only had to deal with their issues once a month, while Vampires had to deal with theirs constantly. As supernatural beings can identify one another, Werewolves can be spotted immediately by Vampires, even in their human form. Some Vampires will immediately attack a Werewolf (in human form only, as an attack on a Werewolf in wolf form would be extremely risky for Vampires) upon seeing them, while others trick them into coming with them to a private location where they can attack. Werewolves are often considered little more than dogs by Vampires, and it is a very rare when a Vampire and Werewolf coexist peacefully. Despite their negative relationship with Vampires, Werewolves do not seem to have any particular hatred for other supernatural beings such as Ghosts. Originally it was believed that Vampires loathed werewolves because they saw them as savage and 'lower life-forms'. Herrick seemed especially fond of demeaning Werewolves like this, however the true basis for the hatred has been suggested to be fear; as Werewolf blood is toxic to Vampires, and when fully transformed into their wolf forms, Werewolves are much stronger than Vampires and can easily overpower and kill them. One particular Vampire, Nick Cutler, believed that humans would find Werewolves more intimidating than Vampires, and even tried to reveal the existence of Werewolves to humans so that they would unite against them with the Vampires. In an alternate timeline where the Vampires took over the earth from humanity, at some point the human resistance apparently began recruiting Werewolves as soldiers, most likely because they shared a common enemy. US Version Transformation In the North American version, werewolves are quadrapedal, with the spine extending to form a tail and vaguely human bone structure in the limbs, hands, and feet. They have very sparse coats of fur except around the neck, and the color of the fur reflects their human hair color somewhat (Josh, for instance, has dark brown hair in both forms). Their eye color also remains the same in wolf form as in human. Their skin will change to grey and they will grow large fangs and claws. Most vestiges of the human personality are erased upon transformation, and they are compelled to kill and devour any living things they encounter. If their human side is particularly attuned with their wolf side, they may remember some things that they did while transformed. Werewolves typically only transform during the full moon, but it was shown that a solar eclipse will force them to partially change during the day. In the American series, werewolves also retain their human memories while transformed,enabling them to subconsciously recognize people they know as humans. Josh has been shown as recognizing both Aidan and Nora, but he still acted violently towards Aidan. Like the UK version, it appears that werewolves are instinctively protective of their 'mates'. Josh and Nora have each protected one other while they were in danger at least once, sometimes while the other was in human form. Creation Werewolves are typically humans that were scratched by another werewolf. The supernatural bond this creates between the werewolf and its maker seems to be similar to that arising from the creation of vampires. However, people can also be born as werewolves in the American adaptation. While a human mother cannot carry a child fathered by a werewolf father without miscarrying, pregnancies resulting from a werewolf father and werewolf mother appear to be viable, and children born from such a pair will inherit the condition, resulting in a variety of werewolf known as a purebred. Purebreds are different from turned werewolves ('mutts') in some ways: their senses and strength are heightened all the time, not just the few days before and after the full moon, and they are in constant agatation which is described as their inner wolf are trying to break trough their human shell, but will be easied/suppressed by wolfbane. They are visibly furrier while transformed than their turned counterparts, and will revert to wolf form when killed, which suggests that they are actually more wolf than human. Abilities Werewolves are incredibly strong, both when transformed and during the days surrounding the night of a full moon. Additionally, they have a well developed sense of smell, which also intensifies in the days before and after the full moon. Being part of the supernatural 'family', they can see and hear ghosts the same way vampires and other ghosts can. Their blood is toxic to vampires, which will cause severe bleeding and seizures when ingested, but it is not fatal in small doses. Weakness Silver has been shown to be very harmful to werewolves. Josh was hit in the shoulder with a silver bullet in one episode, and the wound steamed as the metal burned his skin. Nora was also slashed by a silver knife while fully transformed, and it immobilized her for a period of time. After she reverted to human form the next day, the seared slash mark was still visible on her left breast. It was shown that silver can slow down the transformation but only for a short while. Wolfsbane was used by Connor McLean to supress his heightened agitation and senses, but it is not known if the herb has any effect on non-purebreds. Cure If a Werewolf kills his/her maker while in human form, the curse is broken, but Werewolves that were turned by the now-cured Werewolf will remained infected. It is implied by Liam that there may be other ways to be cured, as well. Relationship with vampires Like their UK counterparts, the American werewolves have hostile relations with vampires, driven by a seemingly instinctual loathing of them. Josh's friendship with Aidan is the only friendly relationship between the two species that has been seen. Transformed werewolves are much more powerful than vampires, as implied by Bishop when he responded to Heggemen's request to let one of his vampires fight Josh by saying that it would be suicide. Even a few days before and after the full moon, they have considerably augmented strength and senses, allowing them to fight on more or less equal footing with vampires. For this reason, vampires will typically only harass werewolves the rest of the lunar month, when they are at their most helpless Known Werewolves UK Series According to Mr Rook of the Men in Grey, there are around thirty-five 'registered' werewolves in Britain, with approximately the same amount of werewolves unknown to official registration. *'Christa Stammers' *'George Sands' (deceased) *'Anthony McNair '(deceased) *'Nina Pickering' (deceased) *'Thomas McNair' (formerly; apparently cured) *'Lee Tully' (deceased) *'Amy McBride' (deceased) *'Craig Ford '(deceased) *'Richard Galvin '(deceased) *'Leo' (deceased) *'Allison' *'Milo' (unknown) *'Lady Catherine' (deceased) *'Larry Chrysler' (deceased) *'Bobby' (deceased) *Approximately 70+ other Werewolves US Series *'Josh Levison' - a werewolf that as turned in 2009 by Ray, and also the infector of Nora Sergeant. He lives with a vampire and a ghost and is trying to live a normal life with them. After killing Ray, he broke his curse and became human. He was later scratched once again, this time by Liam Mclean. *'Nora Sergeant' - Josh's fiancé, who was accidentally turned by him while he was transforming. *'Ray' - the werewolf that turned Josh and killed his friend Stu in 2009. Killed by Josh. *'Douglas' - an elderly werewolf that had been a captive of the Boston vampires and forced to fight other werewolves in prize fights for fifteen years. He was killed by Josh when the two of them were pit against each other for the entertainment of the Dutch. Also known as "The Professor". *'Brynn McLean' - was a purebred werewolf and the twin sister of Connor McLean. She was killed by Nora. *'Connor McLean' - was a purebred werewolf and the twin brother of Brynn McLean. He was shot and killed by the vampire Aidan Waite after the former had tried to hunt him down with his twin sister Brynn on the night of a full moon. *'Liam Mclean' - Brynn and Connor's father. *'Erin Shephard' - A werewolf found by Josh and Nora at the hospital, who lived with them for a period of time. She was killed by Liam. *Other werewolves seen or not seen - Some are alive and others are dead. Image Gallery beingwolf.JPG|Josh, season 1 wolfcloseup.JPG|George, series 1 Being-human-werewolf-george-5.jpg|George caged George-warewolf-being-human-3972957-640-427.jpg|George's transformation Beingwolf.png|Werewolf fights Behind the Scenes *The scientific word for Werewolves is Type 3, presumably the third type of supernatural being discovered. *The concept of running water acting as an impenetrable barrier has never been applied to Werewolves in the mythology of any culture. In fact, it was said that Vampires were unable to cross running water. *The scenes of George and Nina transforming were created by using animatronics and CGI, whilst fur suits were used for other shots of them in their wolf form. *Following Captain Hatch's death in The Last Broadcast, which cured Tom McNair of his lycanthropy due to lycanthropy's origins with Hatch, it is uncertain whether Hatch's death cured all Werewolves or just Tom because the he was part of the Supernatural Trinity which destroyed Hatch. It is also unknown as to whether Hatch was destroyed as there are hints that it may have been another illusion cast by the devil. *Dominic Rook mentioned in The Greater Good that there are thirty-five Werewolves in the UK known to the Men in Grey, and approximately the same number unregistered by them. Differences between the US and UK versions *In the US series, Werewolves appear to have a thinner coat of fur than in the UK version, moves on four legs, and has a tail. *In the US series, Werewolf blood is hazardous to Vampires if ingested, almost similar to food poisoning or a drug overdose, causing seizures, temporary paralysis, and hemorrhaging from all orificies in the face, while in the UK version, it has a deadly corrosive effect on Vampire tissue like acid. *In the US series a Werewolf can be cured if they destroy their infector, but in the UK series this does not seem to be the case, as Anthony McNair still became a Werewolf after he killed his infector. *In the UK series, Werewolves' eyes when in wolf form are gold, but in the US series, they are the same colour as in human form. *In the US series, Werewolves are usually displayed with CGI instead of animatronics and fur suits, but makeup and practical effects are still used for most of the transformation sequences. *In the UK series, Werewolves do not seem to have the weakness to silver that their counterparts on the US series suffer from. Appearances Category:Species